New HDPLEX 200W LPS

[davide256]

1 hour ago, tboooe said:

Last night I tested one of the adjustable outputs of my new HDPLEX at 12v with my end point which is just an i3 based mini PC.....  Has anyone else compared the HDPLEX 200W against the Uptone LPS1.2?

 

Comparing a scalpel to  sabre is kind of nonsensical.

 

LPS 1.2 current limits limit its use to low power endpoint. There it is superb.  Cannot use it though to power a server with CPU "guts".

 

Question to ask is how does this compare to an SR-4, which is at like price point and can power a more current hungry device?

 

Like the multiple outputs of an HDPlex but have a sour taste in my mouth from the HDPlex100 that just stopped working last year... I expect my electronics

to last into obsolescence.

 

[davide256]

Hopefully the product is stable now, looks like there were some early production design flaws now fixed. Just ordered one as I really need a better PS option for the NUC 8i3

I'm using as AL/Roonserver

[davide256]

7 hours ago, maty said:

 

I predict a long life of unsatisfying midfi purchases for you....you need to "drive the car" not look at specs.

[davide256]

FWIW I have

SoTM SPS500

Uptone Audio LPS 1.2

iFi 5v

Breeze Audio LPS

 

will be swapping these around  on NUC's and external media drives to compare with the HDPlex when it arrives this week

[davide256]

On 6/9/2019 at 5:13 PM, Terry A Khan said:

The fuse rating is 6.3 amps 250 volts Fast blow.

I have installed in both my 100 and 200 the Synergistic Black fuse and it does increase my musical enjoyment, also tried the Fuurtech Blue and not as good as the SR.

Most importantly in my system, it generates the most enjoyable musical presentation when only a single device is only plugged into the 200 or 100.

Multiple devices at the same time appears to introduce some harshness.

Eventually my 100 will be replaced with a second 200.

My ears are the only measuring tools that I have.

The 200 runs around 85 F and 100 around 87 F.

My next move is to have the HDplex supported on Nordost Kones this will help air flow also.

Another thing is that the HDplex 200 is ruthlessly revealing with zero forgiveness and requires better DC cables than the supplied stock cables.

One of the things that experienced was an increase of sibilance - Ssssss out of vocals. Managed to tame with use of ferrite cores. This is not a 100% cure, a bit still exist on a few tracks but does not interfere with my listening pleasure that I take so seriously and sure you do also.

Sibilance can be annoying but I never experienced it as an attribute of a power supply. Digital interconnects, DAC, source solution did contribute. But I do hear what I would

call an "edginess" from lesser power supplies, as though the treble has been treated with the audio equivalent of hot sauce.

 

The Cranberries recordings are an excellent test for exciting sibilance... if you can play their music and have it sound bright without sibilance, your digital source chain

has tamed the sibilance beast.

[davide256]

Received the HDPlex yesterday, have it hooked up as follows

19V to NUC8i3BEH displacing Breeze Audio LPS

12V to Microzotl 2 displacing SoTM SPS500

5V to Lexar SR2 SDXC media stack displacing iFi 5V supply

 

NUC7PJYH remains on LPS 1.2 but will swap with the remaining HDPlex 5V output later for comparison

 

swapped the Microzotl 2 PS last, immediate difference for the better in quiet and delicacy vs SPS500. Nothing obvious

with the other changes so will take me about a week to play around and A/B test before additional comments.

[davide256]

 

So am done integrating the HDPLEX200W into my system

 

1) 19v to NUCi5BNH

2) 12V to LPS 1.2 power input

3) 5v to Lexar SDXC media stack

 

Some comparsions

HDPLEX 19V - only able to compare this versus the stock SMPS that came with NUC's but it helped quite a bit with glare/ edginess. Has me speculating

what a JS-2 or SR4 could add in improvement.

HDPLEX 12V -  quiet, good at low volumes as initially observed powering MZ2 preamp vs SoTM SPS500. However more extended listening

with classical music, loud passages showed a loss of clarity compared to the SPS500. I ended up preferring the SPS500 overall for pre power supply use.

Next tried versus the LPS 1.2 powering NUC7PJYH, the LPS 1.2 was much better for tone color and delicacy.

 

Net impression is that the HDPLEX200 is a good "swiss army knife" starter power supply but that it will not be the stopping point for serious hobbyists

[davide256]

7 hours ago, Vule said:

Very interesting review.

I ordered one for my Nucleus + (19V), router (12V) and switch (5V).

Hope I haven't mistaken.

Sounds like a good use. The thing I like about the HDPLEX products is that for a reasonable cost you can dispense with up to 4 wallwarts/SMPS bricks,

replace with a DC PS that will make most connected products sound better. The only thing I don't like about it is that the cables come without labels,

its all too easy during equipment shuffles to reconnect the wrong voltage cable to a component. On my  "to do" list to get some labels to put at the

component plug in ends.

[davide256]

I find that DC wallwarts and SMPS's are like Star Trek tribbles in my system. They multiply. I used an HDPLex 100W to make life simpler and now that its died,

the HDPlex 200W will perpetuate allowing me to always have better options than the "comes with" PS.  Having dabbled with different PS's over the past year,

I consider their contribution underappreciated, much as audiophile turntables were misunderstood/ridiculed during the heyday of vinyl.

 

Audio system updated to reflect current configuration/ PS's in use

 

Unfortunately the HDPlex 12V feeding the LPS 1.2 power input just died, looks like a warranty field trip is pending.

[davide256]

On 7/7/2019 at 11:20 PM, lmitche said:

Thanks for the update. Sorry to hear about the 12 volt tap. Good luck with that!

All is well now, have been running the repaired unit for about 2 weeks.  Latest power configuration

HDPlex 19v to i3 NUC

HDPlex 12v to Microzotl2 ( SPS500 will be going up for sale, preferred the low volume clarity of the HDPlex to the gutsiness of the SPS500)